County officials are backing a $2 million grant application by the Georgia Department of Transportation to help fund a roundabout at highways 80 and 280 in Blitchton.

The project is expected to cost around $3.3 million. 

Increased truck traffic from and to the Savannah ports, in addition to growth in what county officials are calling the North Bryan Industrial Development region, are cited as reasons for the project. It apparently coincides with a county agreement with developers of a nearby 543 acre George International Commerce Center warehouse complex.

 In the agreement the developers, GICC-CH/SJP Development LLC, will fund roughly 34 percent of the county’s share of the cost of improvements to the intersection. 

The developers’ share is estimated to be approximately $615,000, and the agreement calls for the company to pay in two installments, with the first to be made in January 2022.

As many as 300 left turns an hour are being made from Highway 80 onto 280 during peak traffic times, a traffic engineer told county commissioner in July. Much of the traffic is trucks headed to the nearby I-16 interchange on 280.

Plans to build a roundabout at Wilma Edwards Road and Highway 280 are also on the drawing board, as well as a light at the Interstate Centre parkway.